11.06.2010

Halloween and Fall decorating is something that feels fake when you do it in southern California. The weather doesn't seem to go with season and September, October and apparently November we still have 80 and 90 degree weather? But that being said, I still do it! I don't go all out but here are a few of my fall vignettes.

So if you haven't done it yet, throw out a few pumpkins and add some fall leaves or branches. Fill a few jars with candy, cute cupcake liners or anything that makes you think of fall!!

11.02.2010

One of my dreams is to have a second home. Of course, it would be at the beach or maybe on a lake or something. It doesn't even need to be big. I would take the tiniest little cottage even! I am not asking for much here. But if I ever do get that teeny tiny cottage, I would love to decorate it in a completely different style than what I have in my normal house. I just think that would be so fun.

Well our friends the Hyders, who were once Temeculans but then abandoned us for the swanky lifestyle of the Bay Area, are living my dream right now! But we Refresh Your Nest gals are lucky enough to be able to live part of their dream by decorating the "cabin" for them! I guess we are living vicariously through them, but hey, it's a whole lot of fun! And since this is partly our dream we decided to give them a place that looks totally different from their home in NorCal. Here it is in all its before dreariness- but don't you just love a blank canvas???

The original idea was furnish it with the essentials, beds, comfy couch, kitchen table - pretty much the bare bones. The goal was "Cute but Cheap". Little did they know that is our speciality! And little did they know that bare bones is not in Bobette's vocabulary!

Welcome to the Cabin as they like to call it! Here's the entryway and the NYC picture (darn glare!) that was the inspiration for the living room/game room.

Now don't you go worrying, we have plans for that chandelier!

Would you call that bare bones? But guess what? It is cute but cheap!

Let's go to the Kitchen/Dining Room!

Beautiful mantel courtesy of Doug Child!

There are big plans for this kitchen looming in the future. For now, cute but cheap!

Now head upstairs ... three bedrooms and two bathrooms. These weren't originally part of Refresh Stage One, but Bobette made it possible by snagging all kinds of great bedding on clearance. I am telling you if there is anything good hiding in that clearance section, she will find it! It's definitely a gift.

This is not a house we decorated just a house I love! I feel like this house could be any of ours with the hodge podge of things grandma gave us and mixing it with some new paint and accents, then add a few choice purchases when the budget allows and here it is!!

Love this simple yet such a pretty kitchen.

Shows that 2 paint colors can touch and not be seperated by trim or molding!! (a rule I have broken again and again)

Makes me wanna have a baby... wait I mean decorate a nursery!?

I swear Kristi has this exact plant and pot in her house?

Not a fan of the lamps but all the rest just works!

Kristi just did these stairs in her house minus the runner. Love the wall color!

OH MY GOSH!! If I could blink and put all this in my room like I dream of genie I would! The rug, the bench, the big pillows in place of a headboard, the sunburst mirror, the two-tone linen slipcover chair with velvet it looks like?!? The wood floor? K you get it... I want it!

Honestly?!? My loft is this big and is full of $*#&. :) excuse me

And this is Mary Best who owns this house and all that goes in it!! If anyone knows how to put a link on this blog so I can do the cute... go HERE.... and then its a link?!? Please tell me because I need to be able to give credit to all the right people!